SABBAC : Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Timothy Karnes

First Appearance: Captain Marvel Jr. #4 (February, 1943)

Powers: Can breathe fire and project blasts of fire from his hands. Possesses superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman durability, and superhuman endurance. Can also fly.

Affiliation: N/A

Did You Know? Like Shazam, SABBAC is an anagram for the forces by which he receives his power.

A Little History

SABBAC is one of the most terrifying villains in all of DC Comics. He is the creation of Otto Binder and Al Carreno. He made his comic book debut back in 1943 inside the pages of Captain Marvel Jr. #14.

Similar to Billy Batson, Timothy Karnes was given great power by forces outside that of Earth. Unlike Batson whose powers originated by uttering the words Shazam, Karnes received his powers after saying the word SABBAC. SABBAC, like Shazam is an anagram for the Demons that he gets his power from. 

• Satan 
• Aym 
• Belial 
• Beelzebub 
• Asmodeus 
• Crateis

After using the word SABBAC, Timothy Karnes transforms into a giant red beast capable of projecting and breathing fire. He is also granted flight, superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman durability, and superhuman endurance. By giving Karnes such power the Demons hoped that he could stand toe-to-toe with both Captain Marvel Jr. and Shazam. 

And they were right.

On multiple occasions he threatened the freedom of the modern world. He tried to bring America to its knees time and time again but was continually stopped by Captain Marvel Jr. (Freddy Freeman) and then the entirety of the Marvel Family.

Karnes later learned that he was the foster brother to Freddy Freeman and that the two had been separated after their parents died. Sadly, while Freddy went to live a happy life with his Grandfather, Timothy jumped from one abusive foster family to another. Learning how Freddy spent his adolescence angered Timothy and he immediately begin resenting him. 

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